DescriptionRace 1
Alvaro Bautista retains his perfect start to 2019 winning the opening race at Thailand seeing off an aggressive early charge from Jonathan Rea.
With a series of fastest laps, the Spanish rider bridged the gap to take the lead at the hairpin on Lap 8 before producing a blistering race pace to power clear. Bautista secured his fourth consecutive win with a comfortable eight-second margin to maintain his 100% record at the start of the 2019 World Superbike championship.
With Rea having to settle for second, Pata Yamaha’s Lowes saw off team-mate Michael van der Mark to take the final rostrum spot.
Alvaro Bautista’s win makes him the first Ducati rider since Neil Hodgson in 2003 to win the opening four races of a WorldSBK season. He gives Ducati their 345th win in the World Superbike class, as well as their 587th WorldSBK podium. He also becomes the first non-British rider to win at the Chang International Circuit.